Typewriting machine



W. F. HELMOND TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Nov. 8, 1923 Feb. 9

Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

v UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

WILLIAM ,F. HELMOND, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

. TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

I Application filed November 8, 1923. SerialNo. 673,454.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. HEL- MO-ND, a citizen of the United States, residing' in Hartford, in: the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to devices, at or adjacent theprinting point, in typewriting machines, for flexing relatively stiff work pieces, such as cards, to the curvature of the platen beyond or above the printing line, and for holding. the card smoothly to the platen during typing thereon.

An object of the invention is a device, for

the purposementioned, which shall be of ex treme simplicity and cheapness, readily attachable to the machine when wanted, and readily removable therefrom when not needed, and which in bending the card to the platen, or in holding the same to the platen during line-spacing of the platen, or letterspacing of the carriage, cannot foul the card or impede its movement.

An object of the invention is a device, of the character mentioned, usable in connection with a platen shiftable between casepositions; and which automatically adjusts itself to any case-setting of the platen so that its action on the card is at all times the same. 7

A feature of the invention is that the device may consist simply of a bowed piece of spring metal, which is-placeable by a simple thrust to home-position on the framework; which automatically locks itself in homeposition; and which is nevertheless unlocked and removed by a simple pull on the same.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, 1

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the platen,ga11d associated parts embodying the present invention, of a type-writing machine. v I r Figure 2 is a view in side elevation, partly cross-sectional, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view in front elevationof the card-holder; its free or distended set being shown in full lines, and its set, when contracted, and in place in the machine,'being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 4: is. a view in cross-section on the line -it4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view in. cross-section on the .line 55 of Figure 8.

The platen 10, by means of an axle 11, is journaled for rotar i movement in side plates 12 of a platenrame. Type-bars (not shown) strike on thefront of the platen. Each type-bar ordinarily has two types thereon, which print in lower and upper case positions, respectively. To enable-the change in writing from normal lowercase characters to upper-case characters, the

platen-frame 12 is supported for vertical movement by meansof arms 13. on a shaft 14 journaled in side pieces 15 of the carriage. A coil spring (not shown) in'the shaft 14 tends to rotate the shaft to assist in lifting theplaten-frame to upper-case position on the carriage. The carriage, with the platen-frame thereon, is movable in letter feed and return directions on the main frame 16 of the machine; and to this end is supported at its rear on rail 17 on the main frame and at its front on another rail (not shown) on the main frame. The platenframe, by means of a roller 18 thereon, is supported for movement in letter feed and return directions, with the carriage, on a rail 19, carried by a shift-frame 20 rockable on a shaft 21 on the main frame.

To rock the shift-frame 20, and thus raise the platen for upper-case writing, there is provided a key on a key-lever (not shown),

but which, when the key isdepressed, causes an arm 22 to be swung forward. The arm 22 bears against the rear edge of one of the side pieces 23 of the rockab'le shift-frame; thereby causing the latter to be rocked clockwise, Figure 2, to raise the platen.

"For the purpose of positioning a workmember, such as a stiff card, on the platen, there is provided a gage 24 and a card holder and guide 25. In order that these two elements may co-operate properly with the platen in both lower and upper case positions of the latter, they'are supported on a floating frame 26. The frame 26 is,

in tnriu supported on the case-shift "frame :20: and ci'impriscs a cross piece 27 on which the gage El and card'holder 25 are mounted. The frame 26 has side arms 528 which extend downwardly troin the cross-piece 27 and arch rearwardly. as at 25), see Figure toward the shift-frame side pieces. to which they are pivoted by means of studs 30 on the shite't'rame. The floating frame has open hearings on the studs 30, so that the floating frame as a. whole may he readily slipped onto and oil the shift-f ame, and so as to allow for a certain amount of lost motion in the movement of the parts.

In" order to hold the. floating frame .26 into its pivot-pii'is or studs 30 on the shifttranie, there is provided on each side oi? the latter a spring 31 connected at one end to a pin {iii on the shitt'fraine and a its other end to a. pin 33 on the floating :t'rr me. it will be noted that the pins 3?; are located on projections ti -t of the floating frame which extend somewhat to the rear of and below the pivots 30.

For properly guiding the floating; frame in its movements with the ca e-shi'tt 't'raine, there are provided on the cross-piece 27 of the floating Prairie a pair ot upward projecting tongues 35. Journaled on spring lnackcts 36 secured by screws BT to the type segn'ient plate are a pair of rollers 38. which project through slots 39 in the brackets {36 and bear against the front tacos ot the tongues of the floating t'raine. Each roller 38 provided with a peripheral flange it), which protrudes into a slot 4-1 in the corresponding tongue -l5 and thereby guides the floatingframe in its vertical movement relative to the rollers and prevents lateral displacement of the floating frame. The bearing of the rcillers 38 on the tongues 35 prevents forward displacement oi the floating trame, and the spring tension of the brackets -16 tends to "force the floating frame and parts carried thereby toward the platen in all positions oi the latter. to muse the upper edge of the guide 25 to hold the card to the platen. The springs 31. which connect the float ingg; trame t the shift-frame. are so positioned as to came the tongues 35 to be pressed or 'ard against the rollers 38. The rollers 38. therefore absolutely determine the. setting of the tongues as.

The gage ll slotted at 42 to permit the types to strike through to the platen. wing: ll is provided on the gage at the right ot the slot 4-2: and the vertical edges oi the gage at the slot l2 are rolled or bent forward at to to prevent touling of the card on the gage. The gage as a whole is secured to the cross-piece QT of the floating frame by means ot brackets 4-3.

For securing the card guide or holder to the floating frame, a pair of brackets lti are secured by screws +7 to the front face of the cross-piece 27, one at each side oi the printing point. Each of these brackets is n'ovided with a. forwardly-projecti11g tango or o'ti'sct -18 having a downward and outward inclined opening 49 tl'ierethrough, to receive retaining toes 50 on the lower ends ot' the arms or branches 51 ot' the card holder or guide.

is shown in Figure :3, the card-holder is a bow of spring material, the branches 51 whereof may be pressed together sufficiently to permit the toes 50 to register with the openings it) in the: brackets ell so that the holder may he set into, and secured to, the bracliets by passing the toes 50 through the openings 1-9 in the brackets. The home position of the holder on the brackets 46 is determined by the engagement of the horizontal under faces of the lugs- 52 on the holder with the upper faces of the olii'sets 1th on the, brackets. It will be, noted that the toes at) are inclined downward and laterally outward, so that, when the holder is in home position on the floating frame, it cannot be: removed from the latter without being contracted. As the holder is relative l stitl, the same is not readily contracted, and accxidii ntal displacement thereof from the floating trame. is therefor prevented. ihe. toes Fit) of the holder [it into the slots it) in such manner as to prevent angular displacement thereof.

The normal or etl'ective position of the holder is that shown. in Figure In this position it will. he noted that the upper end or edge fi l of the holder is set chastity to the platen and holds the card to the latter. 'i he holder as a whole has suflicient spring to permit passage of the card between the upper edge 5?, thereof and the platen. As the card is fed from behind the platen down arouiid and upward over the latter, and hetore its leading edge passes between the upper edge 53) ot the holder and the platen, it will strike the holder at a point below such leading edge 5*) of the holdeiz is shown in Figure l. the branches {it at the holder. at'ter extending toward each other a certain distance are turned up at 55 in the form o't an inverted U, of which the upper edge 52-3 of the holder forms the cross-reach. l t againstthe branches 56 of this U-shaped portion ot the holder that the leading edge oi the card will ()Iflifltll'll) strike: and. to prevent catching or fouling oi the card on the holder. during insertion oi the card. duringlinespacing, ot the card with the plateiu and during; movement oi the card with. the carriage, the rear face at the holder, on the interior and exterior edges of the branches 56 of the U shaped portion thereof is cut back or rounded as shown at 57 and 58 in Figure 2. As shown at 60 in Figure 2, the entire U-shaped portion of the llt) holder and the branches 51 thereof below the U-shaped portion are curved rearward so as to provide a smooth continuous surface for turning the leading edge of the card rearward toward and onto the platen after the leading edge of the card first strikes the holder below the top edge 58 of the latter, and the lower, rear edge of the cross-reach 53 of the holder is cut away or rounded at 59 to prevent fouling of the card thereon.

As shown in Figure 1, the wing portion at of the gage projects up behind the righthand branch of the holder, so that the gage with the holder may form a practically con-- tinuous surface with which the leading edge of the card may engage in its movement around the platen. The right-hand branch of the holder is also effective to press the gage 24: toward the platen and thereby assists in llOldiIlg the card to the platen.

It will be noted that due to the tendency of the holder to expand, it is automatically locked by lateral outward movement of the toes under the flanges 48 of the brackets 46, as the holder reaches home-position on the brackets. Upon reference to Figure 3, it will be seen that the rear faces of the toes 50, when the holder is in place, lie against the vertical faces of the brackets 46, to pre vent forward'angular displacement of theholder. I

Variations may be resorted to withinthe scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others. Having thus described .myinvention, L claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, a platen, and

a device for flexing and holding a card to the platen, consisting of a spring bow and anchoring means therefor, the free ends of the bow being held in engagement with the anchoring means by reason of the distending force of the how, the latter having only the distal portion of the cross-reach thereof as the means for holding the card to the platen. 2. In a typewriting machine, a platen, and a device for flexing and holding a card to the platen, consisting of a spring bow, and anchoring means therefor, the free ends of the bow being held in engagement with the anchoring means by reason of the dis tending action of the how, the latter having only the distal portion of the cross-reach thereof'as the means for holding the card to the platen; the bow being bent backward between its anchorage and its card-holding portion to present to the leading edge of the card, as thelatter is inserted, a curved surface for bending the card and guiding the leading edge thereof between the card-holding portion of the device and the platen.

3. In a typewriting machine, a platen, a device for flexing and holding a card to the platen, consisting of a bowed strip of spring mate-rial substantially rectangular in c1 oss-section, and correspondingly shaped sockets located forward of the front face of the platen for receiving the free ends of the how when the same are pressed toward each other to tension the bow, the latter being curved backward to the distal part thereof to present to the leading edge of the card a surface inclmed toward the platen for flexing the card to the platen, and such distal portion of the bow comprising the means whereby the card, when flexed to the platen, is held against the same; the opposed interior edges of, the side reaches of the bow and the exterior or outer edges of such side reaches of the bow which extend above the sockets being tapered or rounded to preventfouling of the card thereon.

4. In a typewriting machine, a platen, a frame for the platen, means for shifting such frame and the platen between case positions, a floating frame on the case-shift frame, a device on the floating frame for flexin and holding a card to the platen; such device consisting of a bowed strip of spring material, anchoring means therefor, the free ends of the bow being held in engagement with said anchoring means by reason of the expanding force of the how, the latter having one point thereof for holding the card to the platen in all case-positions of the latter, and means for actuating the floating frame so that such point of the device may be effective in all case-positions of the platen.

In a typewriting machine, a platen, a device in the form of a bowed strip for flexing and holding a card to the platen, and means for anchoring the strip in place; the strip being of spring material so that the ends of the bow may be pressed together and be set upon the anchoring means, and may be held to the latter by the distending force of the spring; the ends of the bow being offset laterally outward beyond the anchoring means, when the bow is in place, to lock the bow to the anchoring means.

6. In a typewriting machine, a platen, a device for flexing and holding a card to the platen, consisting of a bow of spring material, a supporting frame. for the bow having apertures therein through which the ends of the bow may be passed, and shoulders on the bow to determine the home-position thereof on its supporting frame; the spring action of the bow being such as to cause it to distend When free,-and the ends of the bow beyond the apertures in the frame diverging outwardly, whereby the how, by such distension, automatically locks itself on the frame. i

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen and a movable gage at the front of said plat-en. of a device for flexing and holding a work-piece to the curvature of the platen adjacent the printing iine, snid deviee heing efl'eeiive to move said 11 2 inward the platen whereby to aid in homing the \.'O1'i-I-] ')iOCQ thei'ezigainst.

R. in a iypewliting machine, the e01nhi- 5 mitien with {1 platen and a niovnhie gage at the {sent of said platen, of 2 device for iiifii igi and holding Ll workpiece to the curvni'm'e e-i he pincen adjm'ent the printing line, said device being ei'i'eetive to move said gage toward the platen whereby to aid in 10 holding The work-piece thereagainsi', and providing with said gage a substantially continuous guiding means with which the leading edge oi? said work-piece engages in its upward movement around the platen t0 typing position.

W iLLIA M 1- l'LELivlONYD, 

